Wire forming fixture



WIRE FORMING FXTURE I/vvr/vrofa G. A. FRA/VK MMM April 1, 1958 G. A.FRANK 2,828,777

WIRE FORMING FIXTURE Filed Oct. 14, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet `2 mvg/wok G. H.F @1Q/VK H TTOR/VFY April 1, 1958 G. A. FRANK 2,828,777

WIRE FORMING FxTURE Filed Oct. 14, 1954- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 8 @MMMATTORNEY United States Patent WIRE FORMNG FIXTURE Gerard A. Frank,Allentown, Pa., assigner to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 14, 1954,Serial No. 462,302

7 Claims. (Cl. 14-71) This invention relates to a wire forming deviceand particularly to a xture for progressively bending wires or stripmaterial to a desired comiguration.

With the current development of transistors, varistors and other pointcontact semi-conductor devices, there arose a detinite need for a devicefor making accurate making it possible to produce uniform, complex bendsin wires without objectionably stretching them.

A speciic embodiment oi' the invention has a plurality of spring biased,opposed, movable forming members between which the wire to be formed ispositioned. The forming members are controlled by a driven actuatorhaving camming means for each of the members. By driving the actuator,the forming members are successively released, and due to the springbias thereon, move to progressively bend the wire located therebetween.ln this progressive bending operation the slack required for the bendsis pulled in from the free end of the wire thereby preventing stretchingof the wire.

According to a feature of the invention, the comming means for each ofthe forming members is individually adjustable making it possible ltovary tie actuating sequence or the relative timing of the actuation ofthe individual forming members. This arrangement is uset'ul for specialtype bends where deformation, stretching or weakening of a certainportion of the bend is required.

These and other features of the invention will be more readilyunderstood from the following detailed description tal-:en inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a partially broken, isometric View of a forming fixtureaccording to the invention;

Fig. Z is a partially broken, side elevational view of part of thefixture shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional, side elevational view of a portion oi thefixture showing the forming members fully actuated;

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the cams on the actuator of the Xtureshowing the actuator in phantom; and

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are side elevational views of a portion of the formingmembers of the fixture showing steps in the progressive bending of awire.

Referring now to tne drawing, particularly Fig. l, in general thefixture consists of a base member 36, having a vertical support member16 on which opposed forming members 9, 1t), 11 and 12 are slidablymounted, an actuator 3i) for the forming members, a driver 35 therefor,and ways (only one shown) for guiding and supporting a wire holder 14(shown in phantom) so that the wire 8 extending therefrom will bepositioned between the opposed forming members. The wire holder mayconsist of a simple clamp for the wire extending therefrom or it may beof the type for holding two wires as disclosed in Patent 2,688,267 to K.A. Schmuldt, dated September 7., 1954.

Y-shaped slide members'17, 18, 25 and 26, to which the forming members9, 11, 10 and 12 respectively are secured, are mounted for vertical,reciprocating movement on the member 16. The upper slides 17 and 18 areprovided with guides 19, and 21 for restricting the slides for suchmovement and the lower slides and 2t` are restricted to similar movementby guides 19, 40 and 21 the outside guides 19 and 21 being used for bothupper and lower members and the middle guides 20 and 40 being of similarcross-sectional dimensions but must be separated from each other toprovide the opening for insertion of the wire between the formingmembers.

As seen in Fig.` 1, one side 46 of upper member 9 is of reducedthickness and overlaps a similarly reduced thickness side 47 of member11, the lower ends of these portions 46 and 47 being provided withbending surfaces 48 and 49 respectively shaped for the particular benddesired. ln like manner the lower members 10 and 12 are provided withreduced thickness overlapping sides `52 and 53 with bending surfaces Stiand 51 (Fig. 3) respectively at the upper ends thereof.

Springs 22 and 23, on bolts 55 and 56 which are screwed into slidemembers 17 and 18 respectively are compressed between the ends of theslide members and a xed end member 24 on the top of support 16, thebolts 55 and 56 making sliding tits through holes 61 and 62respectively. The springs apply a downward driving force to the members9 and 11 respectively. 1n a similar manner springs 27 and 28 on bolts 57and 53, compressed between the ends of guide members 25 and 26respectively and the xed end member 29 on the bottomY of support 16apply an upward driving force to the members 10 and 12 respectively. Thevertical travel ofthe forming members may be adjusted by changing theposition of nuts 34 on their bolts 55, 56, 57 or 58 or by screwing thebolts into or out of their respective slide members. These bolts, ornuts 34 thereon, must be pre-set for the particular bend to be made inthe wire. The spring tensioning on the guide members may be varied bymoving the nuts 33 on the bolts.

The forming members 9, 10, 11 and 12 are held apart, to permit theinsertion of the wire 8 therebetween, by an actuator member 30 which issupported for reciprocating motion in housing 31 mounted on base member36. The actuator normally occupies a forward position whereby individualactuating cams 41 and 43, reacting on the bottom surfaces of slides 17and 18 respectively, and cams 42 and 44, reacting on the top surfaces ofslides 25 and 26 respectively, hold the members 9 and 1t), and 11 and 12apart. As mentioned above, the cams are slottedl so that they may beindividually positioned on the actuator member 3i) for changing thesequence of actuation of the forming members if the forming of aparticular bend may so require. As seen in Fig. 4, for the progressivelyformed S bend described herein, the cams 41 through 44 are staggered onthe actuator member 30 to permit a similar staggered actuation of theforming members 9 through 12 as the member 30 is retracted. Thus cam 42for the slide 25 of forming member 10 occupies the furthest removedposition and cam 43 for the slide 18 of forming member 11 occupies thefurthest forward position with respect to the holder 14, cams 41 and 44for slides 17 and 26 of forming members 9 and 12 respectively occupyingintermediate positions on the actuator 30.

An air cylinder actuator or driver connected to 4the *i principles oftheinvention.

asas/W7' actuator member 30 is mounted on the base 36 and is providedfor retracting the cams from the forming members allowing them toconverge successively on one another since their relative positioning onmember 30 permits member 10 to reach its ultimate position first; member9, second; member 12, third, and member 11 last to formrthe wire 8 asseen in Fig. 3. The wire 8 is completely formed by the contouredsurfaces 50, 48, 51 and 49 when the actuator 30 is moved to its fullyretracted or Withdrawn position. The S bend, as progressively formed, isshown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 3. Fig. 5 shows member 10 moved to itsactuated position with the end surface 50 resting upon the wire 8. Fig.6 shows the member 9 being lowered the surface 48 thereof producing thefirst bend in the wire 8. Fig. 7 shows member 12 moved, the surface 51thereof producing the second bend in the wire and Fig. 3 shows the finalstep where member 11 is lowered and the surface 49 thereof completingthe bend. In the sequential operation of these members, controlled bythe staggered positioning of the cams 41, 42, 43 and 44 on the actuatormember, the cams sliding on the beveled surfaces of guides 25, 17, 26and 18 permit the spring tension, caused by springs 27, 22, 28 and 23,to successively advance the members 10, 9, 12 and 11, respectively, toform the wire.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simplyillustrative of the application of the Numerous other arrangements maybe readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody theprinciples of the invention and fall Within the spirit and scopethereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for forming complex bends in wires, a plurality of springbiased, opposed, movable forming members, said opposed members havingsurfaces adapted to co-act to form a portion of the bend, an actuatornormally holding the members apart, means for moving the actuator andindividual cams for each of the members on the actuator for releasingthe forming members to converge on a wire positioned between the memberswhen the actuator is moved, the releasing, and therefore the Wireforming sequence being determined by the relative positioning of thecams on the actuator.

2. In a device for forming complex bends in Wires, a plurality of pairsof movable members, each pair of members having opposed formingsurfaces, the pairs being linearly aligned, adjustable spring biasingmeans for each `of the members for driving the members to converge ou awire positioned therebetween, an actuator normally holding the membersapart, means for moving the actuator and individual cams for each of themembers on the actuator for sequentially releasing the forming members.

3. In a device for forming complex bends in wires, a plurality of pairsof opposed forming members, adjustable spring biasing means for each ofthe members for driving the members to converge on a wire positionedtherebetween, an actuator normally holding the members apart, means formoving the actuator, individual cams for each of the members on theactuator for releasing the forming members and adjustable means forlimiting the travel of the forming members when released.

4. A device for progressively forming S bends in wires secured in andextending from a holder comprising a for successively releasing themembers to progressively form the wires.

5. A device for progressively forming S bends in wires secured in andextending from a holder comprising a base, a plurality of pairs ofopposed forming members, a vertical support for the members on the baseguides on the support for slidably mounting the members forrcciproca-ting motion, spring biasing means on the support for drivingopposing members of each pair of members to converge on each other,surfaces on the converging ends of each pair of members .adapted toco-act to form a portion of the bend, an actuator normally holding themembers apart, means on the base for moving the actuator, adjustablemeans for limiting the travel of the forming members when released andindividual cams for each of the members on the actuator for successivelyreleasing the members to progressively form the wires.

6. In a device for forming complex bends in strip niaterial, a pluralityof opposed, movable forming members, individual springs for urging themembers to converge on strip material positioned therebetween, anactuator block, means for reciprocating the block, and individual camson the block for spreading each of the forming members apart forreceiving strip material therebetween when the reciprocating means movesthe block in one direction and for releasing the members in a desiredsequence to form the strip material when the reciprocating means movesthe block in the opposite direction.

7. In a device for forming complex bends in strip material, a pluralityof opposed, movable forming members, individual driving means for eachof the members for urging the members to converge and deform stripmaterial therebetween, an actuator normally supported in a iirstposition, means for moving the actuator from its iirst position to asecond position, individual camming means on the actuator for each ofthe members for holding the members separated for receiving stripmaterial therebeween when the actuator is in its first position, andmeans for positioning the cams on the actuator to release the individualdriving means in a desired sequence to produce a desired sequence ofbends in strip material positioned between the members when the actuatoris moved to its second position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS592,727 Frantz Oct. 26, 1897 1,487,530 Bowers Mar. 18, 1924 1,673,564Hathorn June 12, 1928 1,776,082 Peterson Sept. 16, 1930 2,347,575Neverdal Apr. 25, 1944 2,390,795 Kotowicz Dec. 11, 1945 2,497,297 CourtFeb. 14, 1950 2,677,173 Fisler May 4, 1954

